A first calligraphy kit: what to buy and what to skip
A short list that will actually get you writing, and the purchases that can wait until you know which hand you want.
What this covers
- Decide the hand first
- The minimum for broad-edge
- The minimum for pointed pen
- The minimum for brush lettering
- Why kits are reasonable here
- Paper is not optional
- What can wait
- A workbook is worth more than an extra pen
- Budget where it counts
Decide the hand first
Everything else follows from whether you want a broad-edge script such as italic or a pointed-pen script such as copperplate, or modern brush lettering. Buying tools before making that decision is how people end up with three incompatible kits and no progress. Find an example you want to imitate and identify which family it belongs to.
The minimum for broad-edge
A calligraphy fountain pen with two or three nib widths, cartridges or a bottle of ink, and a pad of guided practice paper. That is genuinely enough to learn foundational or italic, and it is the least frustrating way to begin because the pen regulates its own ink flow.
The minimum for pointed pen
A straight or oblique holder, a few nibs of the same model so you can replace them, a bottle of suitable ink, and smooth paper. Buy several of one nib rather than one each of several: consistency while learning matters more than variety.
The minimum for brush lettering
Two brush pens, one firm and one soft, and smooth paper. That is the whole list. Brush lettering has the lowest entry cost of the three and the fewest ways to go wrong at the start.
Why kits are reasonable here
A kit guarantees the nib, holder and ink work together, which is not guaranteed when you assemble parts yourself from separate listings. For a first purchase that compatibility is worth more than the small premium. For a second purchase, buy individually.
Paper is not optional
More early frustration comes from paper than from pens. Ink that feathers, a nib that snags and lines that bleed through are all paper problems. Buying a good pen and using it on printer paper is the most common way to conclude, wrongly, that you cannot do this.
What can wait
Gouache, walnut ink, gilding supplies, vintage nibs, oblique holders in exotic woods and large colour marker sets are all genuinely enjoyable and none of them will teach you a letterform. They belong to the stage after you can write a consistent line.
A workbook is worth more than an extra pen
Structured exercises with letterform diagrams progress faster than copying from images. Many beginner sets include a booklet, and where they do not, a separate one is a better use of the same money than a fourth nib.
Budget where it counts
Ink and paper are consumables and cheap ones cost you results every single session. Holders and pens are durable and a mid-range one lasts for years. If the budget is tight, spend it on the consumables and buy the cheaper holder.
How this applies when you are buying
A beginner set earns its price by making sure the nib, the holder and the ink actually suit each other, which is not guaranteed when you buy them separately. Check the nib count and whether cartridges or bottled ink are included before comparing prices.
Complete calligraphy sets pairing pens or holders with nibs, ink and, in most cases, a practice booklet. The straightforward way to start without assembling parts yourself.
On the shelf at the moment
These come straight from the The Calligraphy Shop shelf as you read this, not from a list typed when the article was written, so the prices and the availability are current.
- Brusarth Calligraphy Pens for Writing, Hand Lettering Pens, 10 Size – $7.14
- Buart 13pcs set Portable Chinese Calligraphy Set For beginner, Brush, Ink,Writing Paper – $26.99
- I-MART Chinese Calligraphy Set for Beginners with 4 Brushes, Ink Stone, Ink Stick – $21.99
Where to go from here
All of the above is the reasoning we use behind the counter at The Calligraphy Shop when someone asks. If you are weighing up two options and the listing does not settle it, ask: +1 917-652-4475 during opening hours, or contact@inkandletter.shop, answered within one business day.
If you order from us
Standard shipping is a flat $5.95 anywhere in the United States, and it is free once the order passes $40. Weekday orders normally leave The Calligraphy Shop the next working day, with three to seven business days in transit after that. Unopened items can go back within 30 days of delivery. Shipping Policy · Refund and Returns
Related sections of the shop
Related reading
- Broad-edge or pointed pen: which one writes the script you want – The two families of calligraphy nib create contrast in completely different ways. Choosing wrongly is the usual reason a first attempt stalls.
- Nib sizes and what they mean for letter height – Tip width is the specification that decides how large you can comfortably write. It is also the one most often ignored.
- Why practice paper with a printed grid is worth buying – Consistent slant and height are most of what separates practised writing from unpractised writing.
Who wrote this
Written by the team at The Calligraphy Shop, a calligraphy and hand-lettering supplies shop at 1982 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234. The guidance here is what we tell customers across the counter, and it is based on the products we actually stock and the questions we are actually asked. Where we are not certain of something, we say so rather than fill the gap. More about the shop · Contact us